Intravenous Magnesium - Lidocaine - Ketorolac Cocktail for Postoperative Opioid Resistant Pain: A Case Series of Novel Rescue Therapy.

BACKGROUND: Severe postoperative pain is principally managed by opioids. While effective, opioids do not provide adequate relief in many patients and cause many side effects, including antinociceptive tolerance and opioid-induced hyperalgesia. To evaluate if a combination of intravenous Magnesium, Lidocaine, Ketorolac (MLK cocktail) is a useful rescue therapy through synergistic pharmacological mechanisms for acute pain relief. We present the intravenous combination of magnesium, lidocaine, and ketorolac (MLK cocktail) as a possible rescue for opioid insensitive severe post-operative pain. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The principal settings were the post-operative care unit (PACU) and the surgical ward. We retrospectively analyzed the electronic medical record and anesthesia documents of 14 patients experiencing severe postoperative pain, >7/10 visual-analogue pain score (VAS), despite receiving at least 8 mg of intravenous morphine milligram equivalents (MME) after arrival in the LAC+USC Medical Center PACU between September 2012 and January 2013. The data reviewed included patients' demographics, disease etiology, surgical procedure, opioids received perioperatively, and visual-analogue pain scores before and after each analgesic received, and after the MLK cocktail. The a priori primary outcome and a posteriori secondary outcome of this study are mean visual-analogue pain score and morphine milligram equivalent dose administered per hour, respectively. The main tool evaluated has been VAS score. RESULTS: In patients who failed to respond to opioid analgesics, administration of the MLK cocktail improved the VAS pain scores immediately from 9.4 ± 1.0 to 3.6 ± 3.5. The MLK cocktail also decreased the MME doses/hour in the immediate 12 hours postoperative period from 12.4 ± 5.6 to 1.1 ± 0.9. CONCLUSION: In patients experiencing opioid-resistant severe postoperative pain, the magnesium, lidocaine, and ketorolac combination may be an effective nonopioid rescue therapy. Additionally, magnesium, lidocaine, and ketorolac may be utilized in cases complicated by either antinociceptive tolerance or opioid-induced hyperalgesia and can restore opioid responsiveness.

Is the severe pain after Milligan-Morgan hemorrhoidectomy still currently remaining a major postoperative problem despite being one of the oldest surgical techniques described? A case series of 117 consecutive patients.

INTRODUCTION: Surgery is the only curative method of hemorrhoidal disease. Currently the Milligan-Morgan hemorrhoidectomy is still considered the "gold standard", since it is the best performing technique. However, postoperative pain remains a major problem. We analize the postoperative analgesic requirements for this procedure in 117 patients. PRESENTATION OF CASES: Between 2012 and 2013, 117 consecutive patients undergoing Milligan-Morgan hemorroidectomy, with an analysis of sex, age, total vascular anal cushions removed, hospital stay, complications, and relation with postoperative analgesic requirements. Patients with documented allergy to NSAIDs or pyrazolones were excluded. Additionally 23 patients undergoing Milligan-Morgan hemorrhoidectomy associated to internal lateral sphincterotomy were also analyzed. RESULTS: The mean age of patients was 51.7 years. The 50.8% were women and 49.2% men. In 33.3% of cases, one vascular anal cushion was removed, 2 in 39.3%, and 3 in 27.4%. The average stay for the 3 groups was 2.0days. An analgesic dose average of 4.1 by day was given, with opioid requirements in 22.2% of cases. It was statistically significant that as more anal cushions were eliminated was higher the opioids need. No significant difference of opioids use was found regarding patients undergoing sphincterotomy as additional procedure. DISCUSSION: Postoperative pain after a Milligan-Morgan hemorrhoidectomy currently remains a problem for colorectal surgery teams. This involves the use of opioids comparable to other major surgeries, finally causing not negligible days of admission charge. A protocolized analgesic treatment, as we actually do in our center, should be implemented after a Milligan-Morgan hemorrhoidectomy for improving the postoperative period pain management.